COCAP : a carbon dioxide analyser for small unmanned aircraft systems

Unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) could provide a cost-effective way to close gaps in the observation of the carbon cycle, provided that small yet accurate analysers are available. We have developed a COmpact Carbon dioxide analyser for Airborne Platforms (COCAP). The accuracy of COCAP's carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements is ensured by calibration in an environmental chamber, regular calibration in the field and by chemical drying of sampled air. In addition, the package contains a lightweight thermal stabilisation system that reduces the influence of ambient temperature changes on the CO2 sensor by 2 orders of magnitude. During validation of COCAP's CO2 measurements in simulated and real flights we found a measurement error of 1.2 mu mol mol(-1) or better with no indication of bias. COCAP is a self-contained package that has proven well suited for the operation on board small UASs. Besides carbon dioxide dry air mole fraction it also measures air temperature, humidity and pressure. We describe the measurement system and our calibration strategy in detail to support others in tapping the potential of UASs for atmospheric trace gas measurements.Peer reviewe

Ferroelectrical spin wave resonance

New phenomenon is experimentally identified: ferroelectrical spin wave resonance (FE SWR), which consist in characteristic splitting of vibration (electronic-vibration) levels in optical spectra of interacting localized centers. Spectral positions of ESWR lines are determined in linear approach by quadratic dispersion law. It has been found that the values of resonance mode amplitudes are inversely proportional to mode numbers (by low excitation level). The prediction that Raman-ESWR and IR-ESWR are characterized by splitting constants with different values has been confirmed. Their ratio is approximately equal two (by the frequencies of zero modes reduced to the same value). It is independent argument for FE SWR identification.Comment: in russia

Digital pen technology for conducting cognitive assessments: a cross-over study with older adults

Many digitalized cognitive assessments exist to increase reliability, standardization, and objectivity. Particularly in older adults, the performance of digitized cognitive assessments can lead to poorer test results if they are unfamiliar with the computer, mouse, keyboard, or touch screen. In a cross-over design study, 40 older adults (age M = 74.4 ± 4.1 years) conducted the Trail Making Test A and B with a digital pen (digital pen tests, DPT) and a regular pencil (pencil tests, PT) to identify differences in performance. Furthermore, the tests conducted with a digital pen were analyzed manually (manual results, MR) and electronically (electronic results, ER) by an automized system algorithm to determine the possibilities of digital pen evaluation. ICC(2,k) showed a good level of agreement for TMT A (ICC(2,k) = 0.668) and TMT B (ICC(2,k) = 0.734) between PT and DPT. When comparing MR and ER, ICC(2,k) showed an excellent level of agreement in TMT A (ICC(2,k) = 0.999) and TMT B (ICC(2,k) = 0.994). The frequency of pen lifting correlates significantly with the execution time in TMT A (r = 0.372, p = 0.030) and TMT B (r = 0.567, p < 0.001). A digital pen can be used to perform the Trail Making Test, as it has been shown that there is no difference in the results due to the type of pen used. With a digital pen, the advantages of digitized testing can be used without having to accept the disadvantages

sedFlow – a tool for simulating fractional bedload transport and longitudinal profile evolution in mountain streams

Especially in mountainous environments, the prediction of sediment dynamics is important for managing natural hazards, assessing in-stream habitats and understanding geomorphic evolution. We present the new modelling tool {sedFlow} for simulating fractional bedload transport dynamics in mountain streams. sedFlow is a one-dimensional model that aims to realistically reproduce the total transport volumes and overall morphodynamic changes resulting from sediment transport events such as major floods. The model is intended for temporal scales from the individual event (several hours to few days) up to longer-term evolution of stream channels (several years). The envisaged spatial scale covers complete catchments at a spatial discretisation of several tens of metres to a few hundreds of metres. sedFlow can deal with the effects of streambeds that slope uphill in a downstream direction and uses recently proposed and tested approaches for quantifying macro-roughness effects in steep channels. sedFlow offers different options for bedload transport equations, flow-resistance relationships and other elements which can be selected to fit the current application in a particular catchment. Local grain-size distributions are dynamically adjusted according to the transport dynamics of each grain-size fraction. sedFlow features fast calculations and straightforward pre- and postprocessing of simulation data. The high simulation speed allows for simulations of several years, which can be used, e.g., to assess the long-term impact of river engineering works or climate change effects. In combination with the straightforward pre- and postprocessing, the fast calculations facilitate efficient workflows for the simulation of individual flood events, because the modeller gets the immediate results as direct feedback to the selected parameter inputs. The model is provided together with its complete source code free of charge under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) (www.wsl.ch/sedFlow). Examples of the application of sedFlow are given in a companion article by Heimann et al. (2015)

G-CREWE: Graph CompREssion With Embedding for Network Alignment

Network alignment is useful for multiple applications that require increasingly large graphs to be processed. Existing research approaches this as an optimization problem or computes the similarity based on node representations. However, the process of aligning every pair of nodes between relatively large networks is time-consuming and resource-intensive. In this paper, we propose a framework, called G-CREWE (Graph CompREssion With Embedding) to solve the network alignment problem. G-CREWE uses node embeddings to align the networks on two levels of resolution, a fine resolution given by the original network and a coarse resolution given by a compressed version, to achieve an efficient and effective network alignment. The framework first extracts node features and learns the node embedding via a Graph Convolutional Network (GCN). Then, node embedding helps to guide the process of graph compression and finally improve the alignment performance. As part of G-CREWE, we also propose a new compression mechanism called MERGE (Minimum dEgRee neiGhbors comprEssion) to reduce the size of the input networks while preserving the consistency in their topological structure. Experiments on all real networks show that our method is more than twice as fast as the most competitive existing methods while maintaining high accuracy.Comment: 10 pages, accepted at the 29th ACM International Conference onInformation and Knowledge Management (CIKM 20

Peel and peel again

Aim: To determine if the internal limiting membrane (ILM) was present in the epiretinal membrane (ERM) when we deliberately tried to perform a "double peel" for macular pucker. Methods: Pars-plana vitrectomy and a "double peel" were carried out. The ERM and ILM were stained with Trypan Blue and peeled separately over the same area. The amount of ERM present in ILM specimens and the amount of ILM present in ERM specimens were evaluated by histological examination. Results: Seventeen eyes in 17 patients were included. It was possible to double peel in all cases. Five of 17 ERM specimens (29%) contained ILM fragments. When ILM was present on the ERM, it represented less than 50% of the sample. One ILM specimen was lost as result of an administrative error; of the remaining 16 specimens, residual ERM was found in six, and cellular remnants were observed on the vitreous surface in a further six of the ILMs. Clinically, no recurrence of ERM was found. Conclusion: ILM was present in some ERM specimens seemingly over the same area that an intact ILM was subsequently peel. We speculate that the ILM in the ERM represent a secondary basement membrane and that the surgical plane of dissection for most ERM peel is between the ERM and the native ILM, making it feasible to double peel routinely.published_or_final_versio